Audiobus: Your virtual music studio.

What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is
an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use
your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite
synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like
GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output
for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a
synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI
keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear.
And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.

Is there an albeton Live-style setup for iPad?

Comments

@jameslondon74 said:
Interesting. I actually had BM3 anyway, but never really took to it. But it’s failed me: I created two channels, with one channel containing two loops. I was controlling the cutoff on the other track. But every time I hit the screen to change from loop 1 to loop 2, BM3 changed mid channels so I was stopped from controlling the cutoff.

No good.

So... if I use modstep, please explain to me this hosting method?

I run my synths/drums in AUM, but where do I put modstep?

On the midi IO of the clips you can select a midi out port and on AUM select that port as source
ModStep doesn’t really needs to be loaded on AUM for launching midi clips, only downsize is that you have to manually swap between AUM and ModStep.
You may load ModStep inside AUM ,just for bringing ModStep interface (but from ModStep there isn’t an icon back to host). At least there is an AB3 panel if you decide to host in AudioBus

@jameslondon74 said:
Interesting. I actually had BM3 anyway, but never really took to it. But it’s failed me: I created two channels, with one channel containing two loops. I was controlling the cutoff on the other track. But every time I hit the screen to change from loop 1 to loop 2, BM3 changed mid channels so I was stopped from controlling the cutoff.

No good.

So... if I use modstep, please explain to me this hosting method?

I run my synths/drums in AUM, but where do I put modstep?

On the midi IO of the clips you can select a midi out port and on AUM select that port as source
ModStep doesn’t really needs to be loaded on AUM for launching midi clips, only downsize is that you have to manually swap between AUM and ModStep.
You may load ModStep inside AUM ,just for bringing ModStep interface (but from ModStep there isn’t an icon back to host). At least there is an AB3 panel if you decide to host in AudioBus

Ha you’ll have to back up there bud. Please treat me like a 5 year old and start at the beginning...

What opens first? Sorry!! I’m getting confused. Lot of love for modstep here so I’m looking at this as a solution... (especially as it’s on sale!)

@jameslondon74 said:
Garage band seems fun, but I need midi only, no audio. I am having trouble working out how to record a midi loop that I can send to an AU3 and fiddle with (freq etc) while it plays back.

If you tap a cell in live loops mode and add instrument you can choose an au to play.

Hit record and it will start recording your loop. If you press the edit button (bottom left) and then edit the cell first you can set the loop length you want. Or when yo7 have the instrument UI up you can tap the loop number at the far end of the bar ruler to set the loop length. you can also double tap a cell in edit mode to set a lot of settings such as loop length, quantise play mode, transposition, etc.

After you record your loop if you want to overdub controllers you can edit again and ‘record into cell’ or tap the cell and just hit record. Make sure you have merge recordings set to on (mixer icon->track settings->Recording) and then When you hit record you’ll get a count in and then record the knobs. You will be punched out of record mode at the end of the loop which can be a bit of a pain if you just want to keep overdubbing within your loop So you need to hit record again to add additional twiddling.

Your other option is to record the performance into the arrange/linear tracks mode. Once you’ve recorded your loops into the tracks view you can open the AUs UI, hit record and merge the knob movements over the track. Make sure you have recording merge mode set to on.

@jameslondon74 said:
Garage band seems fun, but I need midi only, no audio. I am having trouble working out how to record a midi loop that I can send to an AU3 and fiddle with (freq etc) while it plays back.

If you tap a cell in live loops mode and add instrument you can choose an au to play.

Hit record and it will start recording your loop. If you press the edit button (bottom left) and then edit the cell first you can set the loop length you want. Or when yo7 have the instrument UI up you can tap the loop number at the far end of the bar ruler to set the loop length.

After you record your loop if you want to overdub controllers you can edit again and ‘record into cell’ or tap the cell and just hit record. Make sure you have merge recordings set to on (mixer icon->track settings->Recording) and then set the recording to overdub.

Your other option is to record the performance into the arrange/linear tracks mode. Once you’ve recorded your loops into the tracks view you can open the AUs UI, hit record and merge the knob movements over the track. Make sure you have recording merge mode set to on.

I can’t seem to stop it recording audio. How do I set it to record midi?

@jameslondon74 said:
Garage band seems fun, but I need midi only, no audio. I am having trouble working out how to record a midi loop that I can send to an AU3 and fiddle with (freq etc) while it plays back.

If you tap a cell in live loops mode and add instrument you can choose an au to play.

Hit record and it will start recording your loop. If you press the edit button (bottom left) and then edit the cell first you can set the loop length you want. Or when yo7 have the instrument UI up you can tap the loop number at the far end of the bar ruler to set the loop length.

After you record your loop if you want to overdub controllers you can edit again and ‘record into cell’ or tap the cell and just hit record. Make sure you have merge recordings set to on (mixer icon->track settings->Recording) and then set the recording to overdub.

Your other option is to record the performance into the arrange/linear tracks mode. Once you’ve recorded your loops into the tracks view you can open the AUs UI, hit record and merge the knob movements over the track. Make sure you have recording merge mode set to on.

I can’t seem to stop it recording audio. How do I set it to record midi?

Assuming you have just created a new file, in the loops view when you tap the + button to create a new track, select “instruments” not “loops”.

From the next screen scroll to external and choose Audio Unit Extensions.

All of the cells in that row will then play that track’s AU.

Edit. I don’t have sunrizer but do have sunrizer Xs and that’s not an au it’s an iaa. You need to select an audio unit to record midi.

@jameslondon74 said:
Garage band seems fun, but I need midi only, no audio. I am having trouble working out how to record a midi loop that I can send to an AU3 and fiddle with (freq etc) while it plays back.

If you tap a cell in live loops mode and add instrument you can choose an au to play.

Hit record and it will start recording your loop. If you press the edit button (bottom left) and then edit the cell first you can set the loop length you want. Or when yo7 have the instrument UI up you can tap the loop number at the far end of the bar ruler to set the loop length.

After you record your loop if you want to overdub controllers you can edit again and ‘record into cell’ or tap the cell and just hit record. Make sure you have merge recordings set to on (mixer icon->track settings->Recording) and then set the recording to overdub.

Your other option is to record the performance into the arrange/linear tracks mode. Once you’ve recorded your loops into the tracks view you can open the AUs UI, hit record and merge the knob movements over the track. Make sure you have recording merge mode set to on.

I can’t seem to stop it recording audio. How do I set it to record midi?

Assuming you have just created a new file, in the loops view when you tap the + button to create a new track, select “instruments” not “loops”.

From the next screen scroll to external and choose Audio Unit Extensions.

All of the cells in that row will then play that track’s AU.

Sorry man, I’ve done all that but it keeps recording audio. It just recorded an audio loop from sunrizer, and nowhere was there an option to record midi.

@jameslondon74 said:
Garage band seems fun, but I need midi only, no audio. I am having trouble working out how to record a midi loop that I can send to an AU3 and fiddle with (freq etc) while it plays back.

If you tap a cell in live loops mode and add instrument you can choose an au to play.

Hit record and it will start recording your loop. If you press the edit button (bottom left) and then edit the cell first you can set the loop length you want. Or when yo7 have the instrument UI up you can tap the loop number at the far end of the bar ruler to set the loop length.

After you record your loop if you want to overdub controllers you can edit again and ‘record into cell’ or tap the cell and just hit record. Make sure you have merge recordings set to on (mixer icon->track settings->Recording) and then set the recording to overdub.

Your other option is to record the performance into the arrange/linear tracks mode. Once you’ve recorded your loops into the tracks view you can open the AUs UI, hit record and merge the knob movements over the track. Make sure you have recording merge mode set to on.

I can’t seem to stop it recording audio. How do I set it to record midi?

Assuming you have just created a new file, in the loops view when you tap the + button to create a new track, select “instruments” not “loops”.

From the next screen scroll to external and choose Audio Unit Extensions.

All of the cells in that row will then play that track’s AU.

Sorry man, I’ve done all that but it keeps recording audio. It just recorded an audio loop from sunrizer, and nowhere was there an option to record midi.

If the cell is green it’s MIDI.

If it’s blue it is audio.

If you recorded from the on screen keyboard in Sunrizer it should have recorded as midi. If you click the edit button (bottom left) tap the cell and select edit from the menu you should see the notes in a piano roll.

@jameslondon74 said:
Garage band seems fun, but I need midi only, no audio. I am having trouble working out how to record a midi loop that I can send to an AU3 and fiddle with (freq etc) while it plays back.

If you tap a cell in live loops mode and add instrument you can choose an au to play.

Hit record and it will start recording your loop. If you press the edit button (bottom left) and then edit the cell first you can set the loop length you want. Or when yo7 have the instrument UI up you can tap the loop number at the far end of the bar ruler to set the loop length.

After you record your loop if you want to overdub controllers you can edit again and ‘record into cell’ or tap the cell and just hit record. Make sure you have merge recordings set to on (mixer icon->track settings->Recording) and then set the recording to overdub.

Your other option is to record the performance into the arrange/linear tracks mode. Once you’ve recorded your loops into the tracks view you can open the AUs UI, hit record and merge the knob movements over the track. Make sure you have recording merge mode set to on.

I can’t seem to stop it recording audio. How do I set it to record midi?

Assuming you have just created a new file, in the loops view when you tap the + button to create a new track, select “instruments” not “loops”.

From the next screen scroll to external and choose Audio Unit Extensions.

All of the cells in that row will then play that track’s AU.

Sorry man, I’ve done all that but it keeps recording audio. It just recorded an audio loop from sunrizer, and nowhere was there an option to record midi.

If the cell is green it’s MIDI.

If it’s blue it is audio.

If you recorded from the on screen keyboard in Sunrizer it should have recorded as midi. If you click the edit button (bottom left) tap the cell and select edit from the menu you should see the notes in a piano roll.

All my clips at blue. How do change to green? I recorded from the piano roll and it still recorded audio.

@klownshed said:
You need to choose the internal instruments or audio units to record midi.

IAA synths will be recorded as audio.

I recorded a green cell with an internal keyboard sound. Now how do I change it to an AU3 app? I really don’t see this working, but thank you so much for your efforts!

Create a new track ( + ). Choose ‘instruments’

From the picker, scroll to external. Then choose audio unit NOT IAA (iaas will be recorded as audio).

Choose an audio unit from the picker.

In the live loops view, tap edit then tap your green cell and from the pop up menu select cut. Tap a cell in the AU track tow and paste it.

You can record audio unit instruments from their on screen keyboards, just not IAAs.

That might be where I’m going wrong. I think I’m picking an AU, but I guess I’m not. All my apps are lumped together in one big window. Are you able to see the AUs somewhere else? Somewhere separate?

When you scroll to ‘external’ you get two options. Audio unit or IAA.

From there just click audio unit extensions. You shouldn’t see the IAA apps too.

As soon as you select the AU you should see its UI. you will also see the time ruler above the synth. The square at the top length will be green if you will be recording MIDI, which for any AU, you will be.

If you choose an IAA, it will open separately. You will get a message to say that the app has loaded. When you switch back to GarageBand there will be a blue square at the left of the time ruler. That means you’ll be recording the IAA as audio.

@klownshed said:
You need to choose the internal instruments or audio units to record midi.

IAA synths will be recorded as audio.

I recorded a green cell with an internal keyboard sound. Now how do I change it to an AU3 app? I really don’t see this working, but thank you so much for your efforts!

Create a new track ( + ). Choose ‘instruments’

From the picker, scroll to external. Then choose audio unit NOT IAA (iaas will be recorded as audio).

Choose an audio unit from the picker.

In the live loops view, tap edit then tap your green cell and from the pop up menu select cut. Tap a cell in the AU track tow and paste it.

You can record audio unit instruments from their on screen keyboards, just not IAAs.

That might be where I’m going wrong. I think I’m picking an AU, but I guess I’m not. All my apps are lumped together in one big window. Are you able to see the AUs somewhere else? Somewhere separate?

Cracked it!

Ok so unfortunately, garage band fails at letting me tweak my AU synth while I switch the different loops.

Yes unless you have a hardware controller connected which will play whichever track is selected.

Oh I can tweak the synth when the track is selected, but not when I’m switching between loops. So for performance purposes.... no good.

The closest you can get within GarageBand is to record the performance to the tracks view (just click record and tap away at the cells) and once you’re done, go into tracks view and overdub the controller tweaking. So not what you want.

@jameslondon74 - I Have used Live extensively for 10 or so years, and on the iPad I use Stagelight now with a select bunch of AUv3 instruments and effects.

It’s Loopbuilder workflow is super close to Live’s session view, and will record midi to either it’s internal instruments or AUv3 instruments on the fly. Same for audio tracks. You can connect a midi controller for automating parameters.

Once you have a Loopbuilder full of scenes, you can then perform them into a linear time line just live Live for further editing.

It’s worth checking out Stagelight’s 0 to 100 series youtube tutorial series, as these really showcase what Stagelight can do.

For me right now it is missing Ableton Link and Audiobus syncing functionality so that I can get loops from Blocs Wave, Soft Drummer etc in on the fly, so for now I import these manually which is OK. This is coming soon according to Stagelight’s developers.

@Stratguy10 said:@jameslondon74 - I Have used Live extensively for 10 or so years, and on the iPad I use Stagelight now with a select bunch of AUv3 instruments and effects.

It’s Loopbuilder workflow is super close to Live’s session view, and will record midi to either it’s internal instruments or AUv3 instruments on the fly. Same for audio tracks. You can connect a midi controller for automating parameters.

Once you have a Loopbuilder full of scenes, you can then perform them into a linear time line just live Live for further editing.

It’s worth checking out Stagelight’s 0 to 100 series youtube tutorial series, as these really showcase what Stagelight can do.

For me right now it is missing Ableton Link and Audiobus syncing functionality so that I can get loops from Blocs Wave, Soft Drummer etc in on the fly, so for now I import these manually which is OK. This is coming soon according to Stagelight’s developers.

@Stratguy10 said:@jameslondon74 - I Have used Live extensively for 10 or so years, and on the iPad I use Stagelight now with a select bunch of AUv3 instruments and effects.

It’s Loopbuilder workflow is super close to Live’s session view, and will record midi to either it’s internal instruments or AUv3 instruments on the fly. Same for audio tracks. You can connect a midi controller for automating parameters.

Once you have a Loopbuilder full of scenes, you can then perform them into a linear time line just live Live for further editing.

It’s worth checking out Stagelight’s 0 to 100 series youtube tutorial series, as these really showcase what Stagelight can do.

For me right now it is missing Ableton Link and Audiobus syncing functionality so that I can get loops from Blocs Wave, Soft Drummer etc in on the fly, so for now I import these manually which is OK. This is coming soon according to Stagelight’s developers.

Cheers
Jed

It looked nice, but on the free version it wouldn’t let me play anything other than drum tracks. Once I have a synth part in, can I tweak the parameters while triggering loops on different tracks?

Progress - modstep seems perfect. I took the plunge to try it and so far it seems to be working ok. I’m able to tweak the cutoff on a synth, while triggering loops on other tracks. No interruptions.

@Stratguy10 said:@jameslondon74 - I Have used Live extensively for 10 or so years, and on the iPad I use Stagelight now with a select bunch of AUv3 instruments and effects.

It’s Loopbuilder workflow is super close to Live’s session view, and will record midi to either it’s internal instruments or AUv3 instruments on the fly. Same for audio tracks. You can connect a midi controller for automating parameters.

Once you have a Loopbuilder full of scenes, you can then perform them into a linear time line just live Live for further editing.

It’s worth checking out Stagelight’s 0 to 100 series youtube tutorial series, as these really showcase what Stagelight can do.

For me right now it is missing Ableton Link and Audiobus syncing functionality so that I can get loops from Blocs Wave, Soft Drummer etc in on the fly, so for now I import these manually which is OK. This is coming soon according to Stagelight’s developers.

Cheers
Jed

How is Stagelight for automating AU instruments and FX?

Never succeeded on live recording automation ,only drawing worked for me for AU

@Stratguy10 said:@jameslondon74 - I Have used Live extensively for 10 or so years, and on the iPad I use Stagelight now with a select bunch of AUv3 instruments and effects.

It’s Loopbuilder workflow is super close to Live’s session view, and will record midi to either it’s internal instruments or AUv3 instruments on the fly. Same for audio tracks. You can connect a midi controller for automating parameters.

Once you have a Loopbuilder full of scenes, you can then perform them into a linear time line just live Live for further editing.

It’s worth checking out Stagelight’s 0 to 100 series youtube tutorial series, as these really showcase what Stagelight can do.

For me right now it is missing Ableton Link and Audiobus syncing functionality so that I can get loops from Blocs Wave, Soft Drummer etc in on the fly, so for now I import these manually which is OK. This is coming soon according to Stagelight’s developers.

Cheers
Jed

When I use my keyboard on a track, I can see the LED meter rise, but no sound. Anything I, doing wrong here? (Stagelight)

@jameslondon74 said:
Interesting. I actually had BM3 anyway, but never really took to it. But it’s failed me: I created two channels, with one channel containing two loops. I was controlling the cutoff on the other track. But every time I hit the screen to change from loop 1 to loop 2, BM3 changed mid channels so I was stopped from controlling the cutoff.

No good.

So... if I use modstep, please explain to me this hosting method?

I run my synths/drums in AUM, but where do I put modstep?

On the midi IO of the clips you can select a midi out port and on AUM select that port as source
ModStep doesn’t really needs to be loaded on AUM for launching midi clips, only downsize is that you have to manually swap between AUM and ModStep.
You may load ModStep inside AUM ,just for bringing ModStep interface (but from ModStep there isn’t an icon back to host). At least there is an AB3 panel if you decide to host in AudioBus

Ha you’ll have to back up there bud. Please treat me like a 5 year old and start at the beginning...

What opens first? Sorry!! I’m getting confused. Lot of love for modstep here so I’m looking at this as a solution... (especially as it’s on sale!)

Ok I tried stagelight, worked out the instrument problem, but like GarageBand, I’m unable to play with a channels synth while triggering other loops on other channels. As soon as I ‘click out’ of the synth channel, say, to trigger some other drum loops, my controller disconnects from that synth.

It looks like modstep is the one! And I can kinda see why... it allows you to specify your midi controller to a particular track only. Looks like the developers saw the need for this. Particularly happy as it seems to be good at controlling other hardware, which I’m hoping to add to my setup at some point.

It depends on the AU instrument/effect in question, but at this point you can draw in parameter automation for parameters but not record in real time from what I can see. The automation editor is nice to use though.

The native DAW parameters such as vol/pan etc are recordable in real time. @MatthewAtStagelight could perhaps confirm this behaviour?

@Stratguy10 said:@jameslondon74 - I Have used Live extensively for 10 or so years, and on the iPad I use Stagelight now with a select bunch of AUv3 instruments and effects.

It’s Loopbuilder workflow is super close to Live’s session view, and will record midi to either it’s internal instruments or AUv3 instruments on the fly. Same for audio tracks. You can connect a midi controller for automating parameters.

Once you have a Loopbuilder full of scenes, you can then perform them into a linear time line just live Live for further editing.

It’s worth checking out Stagelight’s 0 to 100 series youtube tutorial series, as these really showcase what Stagelight can do.

For me right now it is missing Ableton Link and Audiobus syncing functionality so that I can get loops from Blocs Wave, Soft Drummer etc in on the fly, so for now I import these manually which is OK. This is coming soon according to Stagelight’s developers.

Cheers
Jed

How is Stagelight for automating AU instruments and FX?

Never succeeded on live recording automation ,only drawing worked for me for AU